literacy_instruction_ann_falluccofandomcom-20200214-history
Part 1: Personal Belief System and Reading Models
Autobiographical Narrative I look back at learning to read with fond memories. I remember using flashcards to practice my sight words, sounding out new words, and being placed in reading groups and having to read aloud. Good times. My mother was a teacher and was so supportive of all things school. Especially reading. When I would arrive home from school, she and I would sit down and talk about my school day. If I had received a little pre-folded paper book that day in class, I would eagerly read it to her to show her any newly gained words I had learned. One of my fondest memories of reading was when my mom bought me a new book called Ann Likes Red. Since it was my name in the title, it was a winner. I would read that book repeatedly until I had memorized it. It was one of my most prized possessions. I never struggled with reading. I always did well in class, was placed in the highest groups, and received positive feedback. Therefore, I loved reading class and reading just about anything. I never had to be pushed to read, and I never regarded reading as a chore. Once my homework was done, I often opted to read a book instead of watching TV. Basically, when I look back on my reading experiences as a child, I have nothing but good memories and positive feelings. To this day I don't recall any negative experiences with reading. It came easy to me. Maybe that is a reason why I love it so much. I can only imagine what it must be like to struggle with reading. The negative feelings that would be generated. The frustrations that would be so much a part of the reading experience. As teachers, we know it is easy to work with those students who “get it” or are high achievers. It is the students who struggle that need our help to overcome their frustrations and sense of inadequacies. Reading in all its many forms plays a major part in everyday life. It is a necessary skill. Reading Models While I understand the value of each model of reading (top-down, bottom-up, interactive), I employ the interactive model in my classroom. The top-down models “emphasize that information processing during reading is triggered by the reader’s prior knowledge and experience in relation to the writer’s message” (R''eading to Learn and Learning to Read'', 9th ed. P. 27). This means that what readers bring to the text help them process what they are reading. Therefore, any words they may not know will not impact the meaning of what they are reading. I do not buy into that theory completely. Misread words can impact the meaning of text even if it is a subtle impact. The bottom-up models “involves a series of steps that occur within milliseconds in the mind of the reader...beginning with the recognition of key features in letters and continuing letter by letter, word by word, and sentence by sentence until reaching the top-the meaning of the text being read” (Gaugh,1985, p. 26). Readers must be able to decode words automatically and quickly in order to let their brain be able to focus on the meaning of the text. I do not fully agree with this theory as I have had students who decoded unfamiliar words flawlessly and still had difficulty understanding the text. The interactive model states “readers assume either an active or a passive role depending on the strength of their hypothesis about the meaning of the reading material. If readers bring a great deal of knowledge to the material, chances are that their hypotheses will be strong and that they will process the material actively making minimal use of graphophonemic information. Passive reading, by contrast, often results when readers have little experience with or knowledge of the topic to be read. They rely much more on the print itself for information cues” (Kamil and Pearson,1979, p. 28) This model has a great deal of merit. I have seen this when reading with my students. Often, when we are reading a selection or text for which my students do not have a great deal of background knowledge, I notice that some of my students move slowly through the text in order to understand or make a connection with the material, while others read through it quickly due to lack of background knowledge or unfamiliarity of vocabulary or words. Therefore, I find it imperative to set a purpose for why we as a class are going to read a selected text. I often build background knowledge by showing a short video, employing the K-W-L method for a class discussion, or just using a guided question. Any vocabulary or words that I believe might prove to be a stumbling block for my students, we will discuss and take note of prior to the reading. Outside Influences and Specific Practices One question I ask my new students each year is, “Do you like to read?” Usually, three-fourths of the responses are positive while there are about one-fourth that are negative. Naturally, I want to know why. Most students respond that it is BORING! I might get one or two responses that say it is difficult. Every now and then one student just responds that there are better things to do. While I wish all students LOVED to read as much as I do, I know this is not reality. So, when looking back on my positive experiences with reading in and out of the classroom, I realize I was blessed with outstanding reading teachers. My teachers consistently picked great reading selections, were enthusiastic about what we were reading, were very patient when students were struggling, and created a very positive atmosphere for reading. This is what I try to do each and every day with my students...showcase the awesome attributes of reading!